LUCIANO THE MESSENGE-JAH
Many are called, but only a few ever get to carry the Reggae King mantle
vacated by Bob Marley. Luciano, sincere in his intentions, is the latest
heir apparent, as JOHN MASOURI reports.
A fresh wind of change has swept through the
grassroots of reggae music, with singers and
dee-jays alike turning towards the traditional
themes of Rastafari,
roots and culture. The greatest of these new
Jamaican singer-songwriters is Luciano. Just who
is youth called Luciano?
Well, he is a richly voiced
balladeer and committed rootsman
who is already being spoken of in
the same terms as Jamaican
superstars like Dennis Brown, Bob
Marley and Freddie McGregor.
All inspired the young Jepther
McClymont back home in Davey Town,
a small community in the country
parish of Manchester, Jamaica.
After singing in the local church
choir and being taught guitar by
his father he eventually moved to
Central Village in Kingston,
working as an upholsterer whilst
singing on sound-systems in the
evenings.
From thereon he never
looked back, recording
his debut song Ebony &
Ivory in 1992 for Aquarius record
shop owner Earl Haynes. By then
he'd been renamed after the Lucky
Luciano movie character.
Before long was sharing a debut
album release with fellow singer
Presley for producer Sky High,
playing most of the riddim tracks
himself. It was a start, but not
altogether satisfactory.
Frustrated by having to sing so
many covers including versions of
songs by Stevie Wonder and Bob
Marley, he left for Castro Brown's
New Name studio, where he recorded
his first Jamaican hit Give My Love
A Try in 1993.
It was at New Name where he met
Freddie McGregor who encouraged
Luciano to write and construct
original material for his and
Dalton Browne's Big Ship label.
With license to work on both lovers
and cultural songs as well as
participate in his own preferred
musical direction, the young
singer's career quickly blossomed.
Shake It Up Tonight became
Luciano's first U.K. No. 1 reggae
hit and soon led to an acclaimed
album of the same name in early
1994.
It was at this point that he
auditioned for Phillip 'Fattis'
Burrell's Xterminator label. Castro
had failed to release Luciano's New
Name album and Freddie's hectic
touring schedule meant the Big Ship
association began to falter,
leaving Luciano to seek his future
elsewhere.
After a decade of recording some of
Jamaica's finest talent, Fattis was
poised to become one of the
all-time great reggae producers.
His releases were famed for their
incisive roots themes, invariably
voiced over riddim tracks of real
heavyweight status.
He uses only the best musicians on
his sessions, including Sly &
Robbie, the Firehouse Crew, Dean
Fraser and Third World's Cat Coore.
With such expertise at hand,
Luciano truly came into his own.
"Fattis motivate me to push on more
seriously with the culture" he says
with characteristic modesty. "I've
always had material available but
didn't get the chance to really
express my ideas before. Now I'm
writing international songs; songs
I think will be in the interests of
humanity."
Luciano has remained loyal to
Xterminator ever since, creating a
rich legacy of work that is prized
for its profusion of strong message
songs as well as his exceptional
vocal performances. Many have now
become dancehall anthems; proof of
his influence upon today's reggae
market.
This sequence of Xterminator
releases began with his Moving Up
album; a set which included his
early U.K. hits Poor & Simple and
Chant Out. Back To Africa was next,
another impressive collection
hosting the hit singles
Neighbourhood Watch, Wicked Haffe
Run Way, the sublime Bounty Lover
and lovers rock favourite Time Is
The Master. By now his songs were
all self-penned, and his every
release eagerly awaited by a
growing band of workdwide admirers.
Nor were they disappointed with his
third Xterminator album One Way
Ticket, with songs like Chant Down
Babylon, Raggamuffin, U.K. hit One
Way Ticket itself and the
inspirational Turn Your Life
Around, reinforcing his reputation
as the most outstanding reggae
artist of his generation.
The scene was now set for wider
recognition, and enhanced by his
and Beenie Man's thrilling cover of
Bob Marley's Crazy Baldhead for Sly
& Robbie's Taxi label in early
1995.
Yet even this record was eclipsed
by his next release, the double A
side single of Your World And Mine
and It's Me Again Jah which Island
Jamaica chose to be his debut after
signing him to the label earlier
that year.
Again produced by Fattis, these two
songs topped reggae charts in
Jamaica, New York and England, and
were promptly followed by Luciano's
most accomplished album to date,
Where There Is Life.
That set also contained wonderful
songs like Who Could It Be -
currently remixed as a hit
crossover track in collaboration
with U.S. rap group The Jungle
Brothers - and is now regarded as a
modern reggae classic.
More importantly, it at last
brought him to the attention of a
mainstream audience tired of
ragga's obsession with guns, sex
and violence.
In Luciano they found a singer who
embodies the timeless appeal of
traditional roots reggae, yet
brings to it a freshness of
execution and purpose that is
unrivalled among his dancehall
contemporaries.
In the wake of the Where There Is
Life album Luciano undertook
several major tours, marking his
first proper U.K. shows with a
magnificent New Year's Eve
performance in London and seeing
his next single How Can You fly to
the No. 1 slot on reggae charts
worldwide.
That song is but one of many
stunning moments from his latest
album Messenger, his second for
Island Jamaica. The consistency of
his songwriting has now reached
such heights of spiritual and
musical expression that overground
fame can only be a short step away
for this humble, likeable young man
from the Jamaican ghetto.
On the title track he announces
he's come to "teach the youths
about roots and culture" and does
precisely that over eleven
exceptional songs, all featuring
the innovative sounds of Fattis and
the Xterminator Crew as recorded in
Jamaica's finest studios.
Listen to songs like Carry Jah
Load, Friend In Need, the stirring
Over The Hills or Never Give Up My
Pride - itself voiced over a cut of
Bob Marley's One Drop riddim - and
you'll discover a singer with the
most clearly defined agenda in
reggae.
He's a man on a mission; likening
his work to a "spiritual crusade
for the benefit of all mankind" but
ever-mindful of the hardships he's
left behind. Mama pays tribute to
the struggles endured by not only
his mother, but all mothers, and is
a ballad, a love song with searing
reality lyrics.
Clearly here is a singer who hasn't
forgotten where he's coming from,
and tells his own "rags-to-riches"
story on the triumphant Rainy Days,
announcing that he's now "ready for
the world."
With Life riding a delightful
reggae/bossa nova riddim and Feel
Like Moving - itself a successor to
songs such as Moving Up and I'm
Stepping On It recorded years
earlier - showing just what a free
spirit like himself can achieve
with crossover ragga beats powering
behind him, you'd better believe
it.
Here is the very pulse of
progressive Jamaican roots music.
His is a vision shaped by love for
humanity, and by placing the
emphasis on cultural and spiritual
issues once more. Luciano has
helped elevate reggae music to a
degree many would have thought
impossible only a short time ago.